Judge says Calif college can remain accredited

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A San Francisco judge has ruled that a private commission can't revoke the accreditation of one of the nation's largest community colleges until a trial can be held to determine if the action is lawful.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Curtis Karnow said Thursday that closing City College of San Francisco, which has around 80,000 students, would be catastrophic. The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges moved to strip certification from the college that would take effect in July, citing a failure to improve financial and governance problems.

San Francisco's city attorney filed a civil suit in August, claiming the commission allowed political bias and conflicts of interest to influence its decision to revoke the college's accreditation.